Canadian Menthol Cigarettes

The Menthol You Thought Was Gone

Menthol cigarettes are still legally available in Canada.

If you’ve been a menthol smoker for any length of time, you know what happened in October 2017. The federal Tobacco and Vaping Products Act banned menthol cigarettes from Canadian retail. Craven A Menthol, gone. Matinee Menthol, gone. Players Menthol, gone. Some provinces banned them even earlier. For long-time menthol smokers, the options narrowed to three: switch to non-menthol, quit, or cross the border. Most people quit menthol. A lot of those people regretted it.

Native cigarettes are produced on Canadian First Nations territory under treaty rights that operate independently of federal tobacco regulations. Including the menthol ban. Canadian Menthol has been continuously available through native channels since long before the 2017 ban, and remains legally available to Canadian adults today. If you’ve been a menthol smoker waiting for the rules to change, here’s the news: there’s a legal path that was always there. You just had to know to look.

Why It’s Still Legal

Treaty rights, not loopholes.

The 2017 federal menthol ban is part of the Canadian Tobacco and Vaping Products Act. Like all federal Canadian tobacco regulation, it applies to commercially manufactured tobacco products produced under federal excise licensing. Native cigarettes manufactured on First Nations territory operate under a separate legal framework based on treaty rights that predate Canadian tobacco regulation by more than a century.

Specifically, treaties signed by the Crown in the 1700s and 1800s established the legal status of First Nations communities and their economic activity, including tobacco production. The Canadian Constitution Act, 1982 (Section 35) recognizes and affirms these treaty rights. Federal tobacco product regulations, including the 2017 menthol provisions, do not override Section 35 protections. Canadian Menthol, manufactured on First Nations territory, is legal under both constitutional law and Canadian provincial law.

What You’re Tasting

Crisp, balanced, and properly menthol.

The menthol is integrated into the tobacco blend rather than sprayed on the paper, which makes it consistent throughout the entire cigarette. The opening draw delivers an immediate cool sensation balanced against the underlying tobacco character. Mid-cigarette, the menthol holds steady without intensifying or fading. The finish is clean and refreshing with a lingering coolness that menthol smokers describe as “the right amount of mint.”

The intensity sits in the middle of the menthol spectrum. Stronger and more pronounced than older mainstream lights, lighter than American menthol products like Newport. Multiple long-time menthol smokers compare it directly to Craven A Menthol (the most popular Canadian menthol pre-ban) saying it’s “identical” or “exactly what I remembered.” For smokers used to lighter Canadian menthols like Matinee Menthol, Canadian Menthol may feel slightly fuller. For Newport or Marlboro Menthol switchers, it’s slightly less aggressive.

The Math

Why It’s $99 Less, In Plain Language

If you’d been able to buy a comparable menthol cigarette in Canadian retail before the 2017 ban, the carton would have run $148, give or take. Of that, $89 would have been federal excise duty, provincial tobacco tax, HST or GST/PST, plus the retailer’s markup. The actual tobacco was roughly $28.

Native cigarettes operate outside that tax structure under treaty rights, which is why they’re $99 less. The savings are the same as our other native cigarettes. The menthol intensity, the smooth blend, the consistent burn are also the same standards as our full-flavour and lights variants. Same quality manufacturing, same Canadian First Nations facilities, same treaty protection. Just menthol-flavoured instead of regular.

Real Annual Savings

By how much you actually smoke.

For comparison: smokers who’d been crossing into the United States to buy Marlboro Menthol or Newport were paying about $200 a carton including travel costs and exchange. Canadian Menthol delivered to your door at $49 a carton makes that math even more compelling.

Where Canadian Menthol Sits

Among native menthol options.

Canadian Menthol is the variant most reviewers compare directly to pre-2017 mainstream Canadian menthol cigarettes. If you smoked Craven A, Matinee, or Players Menthol before the ban, this is the closest sensory match available legally in Canada today.

Other Canadian Variants

The full Canadian brand line.

• Canadian Full. The full-flavour version. Heritage tobacco blend with weight on the draw. No menthol.
• Canadian Lights. The lights version. Slow-burning, smooth, substantial. No menthol.

For a deeper retail-to-native conversion guide across all major Canadian brands, including the broader brand match across all our menthol-eligible buyers, see the full brand match guide.

Specifications

Product details.

• Brand: Canadian
• Variant: Menthol
• Format: King Size, 85mm
• Pack: 20 cigarettes
• Carton: 10 packs / 200 cigarettes
• Production: Manufactured on Canadian First Nations territory
• Tax status: Exempt from federal excise duty and provincial tobacco tax under treaty rights
• Regulatory status: Operates under Section 35 treaty rights, outside the 2017 federal menthol ban that applies to commercially manufactured tobacco
• Stock rotation: Weekly. Direct from manufacturer to our warehouse to you. No intermediate distribution.

Pricing

From $5.99 a pack to $39 a carton.

How It Ships

Plain box. Tracked. 24-hour processing.

Plain brown box. No logos, no product references, neutral return address. Looks like any standard Canada Post parcel. Tracking number emailed at shipment. Signature required at delivery for age verification (Canada Post checks ID, doesn’t just leave at the door). Most orders ship within 24 hours of payment confirmation.

Ontario, Quebec, BC mainland: 2 to 4 business days. Prairie provinces and Atlantic Canada: 4 to 6 days. Northern and remote communities: 5 to 7 days. Full shipping details →

Who Makes These

Indigenous-manufactured, treaty-protected.

Canadian Menthol is manufactured on First Nations territory by Indigenous-owned and operated facilities. Buying these cigarettes directly supports Indigenous economic activity and the communities involved in production.

The federal menthol ban that applies to mainstream commercial tobacco does not apply to manufacturers operating under treaty rights, because treaty rights are protected by Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. This isn’t a loophole. It’s the legal architecture that allows First Nations communities to continue economic activity that predates Canadian regulatory frameworks. The Canadian tax code accommodates these protections because treaty rights were the foundation on which Canadian sovereignty was negotiated.

Common Questions

Frequently asked.

Wait, menthol cigarettes are banned in Canada. How is this legal?

The 2017 federal menthol ban under the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act applies to commercially manufactured tobacco products produced under federal excise licensing. Native cigarettes manufactured on First Nations territory operate under treaty rights protected by Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution. Federal tobacco regulations, including the menthol ban, do not override these constitutional protections. Canadian Menthol is legal for adults of legal smoking age in their province.

How does Canadian Menthol compare to Craven A Menthol or Matinee Menthol?

The closest available match for the pre-ban Canadian menthol experience. Multiple reviewers describe it as “identical” or “exactly what I remember” compared to Craven A Menthol specifically. The menthol intensity is medium-strong, balanced against the tobacco rather than overwhelming it. Most former Craven, Matinee, or Players Menthol smokers report Canadian Menthol becoming their replacement after the first carton.

How does it compare to Marlboro Menthol or Newport?

Canadian Menthol is slightly less aggressive than American menthol cigarettes like Marlboro Menthol or Newport. The Canadian style menthol tradition leans toward balance with the tobacco rather than overwhelming the tobacco with mint. Smokers switching from American menthols often describe Canadian Menthol as “smoother” or “less harsh” while still being properly mentholated.

I’ve been crossing the border to buy menthol. Is this cheaper?

Yes. Round-trip US menthol runs were costing roughly $200 a carton when factoring in cross-border travel, exchange, and time. Canadian Menthol at $49/carton (or $39/carton at bulk tier) eliminates the trip entirely. Delivered to your door, plain unmarked, tracked. The math is straightforward.

Will my province let me receive a menthol package by mail?

Yes. The federal menthol ban prevents commercial retail sale of menthol cigarettes. It does not prevent adults from possessing or receiving native menthol cigarettes manufactured under treaty rights. Canadian Menthol has been shipping to every Canadian province since well before the 2017 ban. Hundreds of cartons ship weekly to all provinces. Age is verified at checkout and again at delivery via Canada Post signature.

How fresh is the menthol when it arrives?

The packaging is sealed to preserve menthol intensity. Stock rotates weekly, manufacturer to warehouse to you with no middle distribution layer. The mint flavour is consistent across the entire pack and across cartons. If you receive a carton where the menthol intensity feels off, contact support and we’ll replace it.

Is the menthol “real” or synthetic?

The menthol used is integrated into the tobacco blend during manufacturing. It’s a consistent, food-grade menthol that delivers the cooling sensation menthol smokers expect. The intensity is steady throughout the entire cigarette rather than fading or intensifying. This isn’t a flavoured-paper menthol where the intensity varies as you smoke.

How fast does shipping take?

Order ships within 24 hours of payment. Toronto and Ottawa: 2 to 3 days. Montreal and Vancouver: 2 to 3 days. Calgary and Edmonton: 3 to 4 days. Winnipeg: 4 to 5 days. Atlantic Canada: 4 to 6 days. Northern and remote: 5 to 7 days. All tracked via Canada Post.

How do I pay?

Interac e-Transfer through every major Canadian bank: TD, RBC, Scotiabank, BMO, CIBC, Tangerine, plus credit unions. Payment runs through your bank’s secure system. Credit cards aren’t accepted because Visa, Mastercard, and Amex prohibit tobacco transactions on their networks.

What if I don’t get my package?

Every order is tracked. If a package is confirmed lost by Canada Post, we reship at no cost. Full refund policy.

Can I order from any province?

Yes, every province and territory. Note that British Columbia restricts nicotine pouch sales to pharmacies, but cigarettes (including menthol) ship freely. All other provinces have full menthol availability.